Greenfield to see water, sewer rate hikes

GREENFIELD — Residents should set aside a little extra money to pay their water and sewer bills this year, due to an increase in rates announced Friday afternoon.

According to a press release from Mayor William Martin’s office, water rates increased by 10 percent to $3.06 per hundred cubic feet and sewer rates increased 15 percent to $5 per hundred cubic feet for the Jan. 1 to June 30, 2018 billing cycle. Based on such rates, the average residential customer in Greenfield will see their combined water and sewer bill increase by less than $9 per month.

“These rate increases pay for important maintenance and upgrades to maintain our high-quality water and sewer system,” Martin said. “This is part of our focus on infrastructure upgrades due to new laws and regulations and will help us move these projects forward in a fiscally responsible manner while keeping with our commitment to maintaining affordable water and sewer.”

“The town has worked hard to provide very affordable rates to residents while complying with new laws and regulations,” said Department of Public Works Director Don Ouellette. “To put it in perspective, for just $3.06 the town provides residents with one hundred cubic feet of clean, safe water which could fill approximately 6,000 water bottles.”

The release cites a statewide survey of 2017 water and sewer bills by Tighe and Bond that shows Greenfield’s bills, even with the increases, are 35 percent less than the state average of $1,457 per year.

According to the release, the top priority infrastructure project is replacing the last pump station. Two pump stations, as well as the Leyden Road water main and the Rocky Mountain water tank, were replaced last year.

Projects over the next five years include replacing the water meters and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, upgrading the waste water treatment plant, and performing infiltration and inflow repairs.